Model 3 Mule Sightings

[JeffK]

But what if he's wrong? Isn't it at all concerning that everybody else in the industry doesn't share his sentiment? He's not a miracle worker has been known to stretch ideas and concepts beyond realistic or practical limits. Hell, he just recently admitted that Model 3's production line will be about the same as current production lines. None of this "alien dreadnought" stuff, just a regular production line with regular technology making cars at regular speeds compared to competitors.

I can see him backpeddling similarly ten years down the road when he introduces AP3 with LIDAR because AP2 isn't cutting it.

Actually he's been a miracle worker and a major driver of change.
Yes the Model 3 production line on par with major manufacturers manufacturing lines... as opposed to the Model S/X line. This is a major accomplishment for Tesla. Alien Dreadnought stuff will take more time he said the first iteration will be version 0.5... this is less than version 1 for anyone counting. Other manufacturers don't have the Gigafactory either...

 

[N5329K]

The Model S is a hatchback and combines the best of several car types into one beautiful form. It's a stylish sedan, a thrilling sports car, and it swallows cargo almost as well as an E Series station wagon (very very close, but still shy of the cargo capacity of a Prius V).
The Model 3 is not a hatchback. It's a stylish sedan, it will probably be quite fast in performance iteration (not sure the seats will be supportive enough for the corners), and it swallows cargo like a...sedan.
If I needed a one-vehicle transportation solution the Model 3 would not be it. As a second car (along with something that carries bigger, bulkier objects) it's perfectly OK.
Robin

 

[JeffK]

And what's more bizarre is that Model Y is supposed to be based on the same platform as Model 3

No, not anymore. It'll be a totally different, even more simple, platform.

All this talk reminds me that I'm in the process of moving and all my stuff doesn't fit in the back of my Prius (a hatchback of course) I need a moving truck anyway. I guess the same would happen with a standard or larger than standard trunk...

I bet if I had a Model S I'd still need a moving truck as well. Unless it fits couches and such.

 

[eisbock]

He never said the first model 3 production line would be 'alien dreadnought'
Current one is V0.5, 'alien dreadnought' is on V3

He also said alien dreadnought would not be Model 3. It'll be Model Y.

 

[Twiglett]

I hesitate to mention this, since we seem to be getting quite off topic

Getting off topic is the least of the worries on this thread

 

[Twiglett]

I get that trunks are more of a pain, but if you need to move stuff Elon promised us a towing package. My puny little Leaf hauls like a champ, I'm sure the 3 will be even better. Who needsView attachment 225731 a pickup when you have a trailer.

thats really interesting - what hitch did you use?

 

[Cintoman]

I was fine with it* - I'm sure there are better solutions, but this one works. Now that I've moved out of California, I've removed the decals with nary a trace left behind. Though I wish Washington State had a HOV lane program for EVs. I'd happily apply new decals to take advantage of the HOV lanes here.

Note, some people would be horrified to see you attached a front plate. It's all relative.

*I admit that it made me a little crazy when I saw Tesla's with the stickers applied crooked. It screamed at my little corner of OCDedness.

Yep...no front plate mounted on my Model 3, even though my State (RI) is a 2-plate state. I've had no front plate on my existing car for nearly 11 years without any issues so far.

--Cintoman

 

[S3XY]

Yep...no front plate mounted on my Model 3, even though my State (RI) is a 2-plate state. I've had no front plate on my existing car for nearly 11 years without any issues so far.

--Cintoman

I'd like to do this as well but the EZPass toll booths snap a picture of your front plate as you pass through. I would think not having a front plate would be a problem. Although someone posted a powered plate mount that hides the plate under the bumper. You can raise it up into place when needed. I think it was over $100 but if you really want that clean front end while also being "legal" it's probably worth it.

 

[Dynastar]

thats really interesting - what hitch did you use?

A Torklift Ecohitch. They make one for the S as well but my wife won't let me dirty her car with a towing hitch.

 

[stopcrazypp]

I'm going to give Elon a little leeway on this. If you recall he tweeted immediately after the reveal they were working on improving the trunk. Since the mules do not appear to show any improvement from the outside there is certainly a good chance the improvements Elon tweeted about were made to the inside of the car. Otherwise what was he referring too?

Well certainly the opening can be improved inside with no noticeable change outside, but then Elon's tweet does not say it's on the inside. At the moment just from pictures it's hard to tell if any changes were made on the outside. From the whole front crease argument, have strong doubts people here would be able to tell the difference even if it did change.

 

[tomas]

Well whether it will happen is one thing, but what he actually said is another. We should first get thing straight on what he said. For example on the spaceship tweet it had been interpreted to mean HUD, but if you read what he wrote, it could refer to the FSD hardware.

Or it could be his impression of the clean dash with all controls on display or steering wheel or via voice. Spaceship is a pretty subjective descriptor. Everyone has to admit that the controls approach - like it or not - is novel. Maybe that's what he meant?

 

[Ken7]

Is it me or does it look like the placement of airbags is a bit more problematic in the 3's interior?

 

[tomas]

Is it me or does it look like the placement of airbags is a bit more problematic in the 3's interior?

Why?

 

[jelloslug]

Is it me or does it look like the placement of airbags is a bit more problematic in the 3's interior?

How so?

 

[T34ME]

Is it me or does it look like the placement of airbags is a bit more problematic in the 3's interior?

I don't see a problem. In fact I can see additional opportunities!

 

[Fiver]

I'm hesitant to trust Elon's tweets. He's got a solid lineup of "a swing and a miss" on Tesla-related tweets: The spaceship tweet, the deletion of the Model Y's Falcon Wing Doors tweet, the contradictory tweet about 60 kWh hardware upgrades, the AP2 parity mostly "coming in a week" tweet, Supercharger availability coming "soon" tweet = added 10 months later, etc.

Not saying he's always wrong in his tweets, but there's plenty of evidence that he sometimes misses the mark completely on Tesla-related tweets. But, it's much better than any other car CEO, hahaha.

Well, regarding the 60-75 upgrade tweet, he did correct himself saying that he meant that the software locked packs could be updated, not hardware packs.

 

[BluestarE3]

Well, regarding the 60-75 upgrade tweet, he did correct himself saying that he meant that the software locked packs could be updated, not hardware packs.

Right, he corrected himself later in the same exchange. The original questioner asked if his 2013 Model S could be upgraded. Elon replied "Yes". Someone else chimed in and asked if battery packs would be replaced, because that's what would be needed to upgrade a 2013 model from 60 to 75. Elon said "oops", he had missed the "2013" part of the tweet. He meant for software-limited upgrades only, so the 2013 is not eligible. So, this is not an example of him changing his mind later; he just misunderstood the question and misspoke.

 

[Ken7]

Why?

Just the apparent distance of the dash to the passenger. Maybe it's just an illusion.

 

[ikjadoon]

Well whether it will happen is one thing, but what he actually said is another. We should first get thing straight on what he said. For example on the spaceship tweet it had been interpreted to mean HUD, but if you read what he wrote, it could refer to the FSD hardware.

It could've been interpreted as HUD, but not necessarily. I think Elon, at Part 2 of the reveal, stated he was discussing FSD. But, that's exactly what I'm getting at: his tweets are vague. What does "already taken care of" mean exactly?

Or it could be his impression of the clean dash with all controls on display or steering wheel or via voice. Spaceship is a pretty subjective descriptor. Everyone has to admit that the controls approach - like it or not - is novel. Maybe that's what he meant?

Eh, re-read the tweet. He was implying something new was coming that wasn't in Part 1.

Well, regarding the 60-75 upgrade tweet, he did correct himself saying that he meant that the software locked packs could be updated, not hardware packs.

Exactly! Meaning, Elon sometimes says things that aren't always grounded in reality.

Right, he corrected himself later in the same exchange. The original questioner asked if his 2013 Model S could be upgraded. Elon replied "Yes". Someone else chimed in and asked if battery packs would be replaced, because that's what would be needed to upgrade a 2013 model from 60 to 75. Elon said "oops", he had missed the "2013" part of the tweet. He meant for software-limited upgrades only, so the 2013 is not eligible. So, this is not an example of him changing his mind later; he just misunderstood the question and misspoke.

Er, same point: exactly. The person he was replying to already knew Elon was confused, yet Elon stood by his original statement until a second person asked him again. "Compelling as in, I could hardware upgrade my 2013 S 60 to 75 for $2K?" Elon: "Yes".

I'm not berating the guy for misreading it, but giving one of many examples where he has misread/misspoke on Twitter.

Take all this together and "already taken care of" about the trunk might not interpret "we made it bigger" or that they even did much of anything.

 

[MTL_HABS1909]

Is this the Model 3 Mule Sightings thread?